


Stretching The Truth

by King_of_Clubs



Category: Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters (Cartoon)
Genre: Depressed Nathan Park, Grandpa Park is helpful, Nathan is sad, Post-Season/Series 02, Ricardo is helpful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-30 02:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17215568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/King_of_Clubs/pseuds/King_of_Clubs
Summary: This is my first Stretch Armstrong story! It may be a little OOC, though.Nathan had been feeling down in the dumps for a while, and it is getting worse and worse until he almost breaks.





	Stretching The Truth

Nathan placed his bag down as he sunk into his bed. “That’s gonna hurt tomorrow,” he sighed. He stared at the ceiling as he felt almost completely numb. Ricardo fell asleep almost immediately when hitting the bed. Alone, again, well kind of.

After a good ten minutes or so Nathan got up and got into the shower, despite everyone else being in bed already, he washed his hair and ended up just sitting in the shower for a good ten minutes. Why was he feeling this way? What did he do to warrant this feeling in himself? He sighed after he was done, getting dressed and got back into his bed. Though, he couldn’t sleep. Something was nagging him, and he didn’t know what.

He grabbed his phone to see if Jake were still up... he was not, or at least he wasn't on the messaging app they use. He put his phone back and sighed. Just a heavyweight in his chest.

He didn’t get much sleep that night. Morning came around, he actually had his uniform on, correctly this time, and he got his bag, but again he was last in line, and he got no cereal, going to school hungry, again.

When he walked into school with Ricardo, they both noticed that Jake wasn’t there to meet them like usual.

“Uhh, where’s Jake?”

“I don’t know man, maybe he’s sick? He’s definitely not late.”

Nathan shrugged. “Okay. We’ll see you in class.”

“Hey, you okay man?”

“Just sore,” Nathan sighed. “I guess I went too far stretching?”

Ricardo nodded in understanding, heading to the first class. Then the next, and then the next.

Something felt off, and Nathan couldn’t place it. He felt tired and felt as if something were dragging him down, this five-ton weight on his chest.

Botany class rolled around, and he just mindlessly listens and took notes. No comments, no jabs, and no responses to Ricardos 'boredom noises'. It must have caught Mr. Savic’s attention because he asked to talk to Nathan.

“Nathan, are you okay? You seemed distracted in class today.”

“Oh, no worries Mr. Savic. I stayed up too late doing homework, just tired!”

“Alright, well, get to class! Make sure you get some sleep next time!”

With that, Nathan was off. After all his classes were done, Ricardo met up with him.

“Nathan. Are you sure you’re just sore?”

“Huh?”

“Did you hear me, man?”

“Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Why does everyone keep asking me that today?”

Ricardo raised an eyebrow, “maybe because you’re acting like you're depressed?”

Depressed? Nathan? “Wow. I miss a night’s sleep, and everyone starts asking me if I’m okay. I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

He’s not fine. He just doesn’t know what’s wrong. Why does everything feel so pointless? Why does he feel so... useless? Not in school, not at home and definitely not as a flex fighter. But why? Why? Why?

“Nathan, stop spacing out on me man.”

“Sorry, heh.”

They just talked about the most random things, and it was helpful, the load on Nathan’s chest didn’t feel so large. It was still there, it just didn’t feel as heavy.

They both got home late again, collapsing onto his bed and not even getting changed out of his everyday clothes. It was almost opposite of what happened the day before, Ricardo got ready for bed when Nathan did not. When morning came, he didn’t get out of bed. He just felt like he couldn’t.

“Nathan it’s time for school, your brothers and Ricardo are already ready for school.”

“Not feeling well, grandpa.”

“Do you have a fever?”

The boy shrugged, still lying in his bed. “Not that way...” he said quietly. “I don’t know.”

His grandpa closed the door and sat on the chair near Nathan’s bed. “You need—”

The boy sat up and clenched his fists. “You, Jake and Ricardo are the only people I can talk about this with! You’re literally my grandpa so you’re forced to tell me about how good I am and Jake and Ricardo probably just laugh because they both have it... it better than me, and I... I don’t know,” he was crying. “We just have to keep everything to ourselves because everyone thinks we are traitors! I don’t know what’s wrong, I don’t know why I went from being fine to just... do not, and...”

“Nathan. It is okay. You’re allowed to feel the way you do, but I know you know why.”

Nathan crossed his arms. “It’s over something so stupid— it’s just... I don’t know, I feel like I’m not as good as Ricardo or Jake. With both stretching ability, and... well... normal? I don’t know.

“Well that is quite stupid, but, not for the reason you think it is, don’t worry. Just talk to your friends” he said as he left the room

“Yeah...”

Nathan: Hey guys

Jake: What’s up Nathan

RicardoPerez: Where were you at school yesterday, Jake?

Jake: I’m sick?? Anyway, I won’t be at school today either.

Nathan: Oh. Hope you get better.

RicardoPerez: Nathan, you better not be ditching me too. Get out of bed. I saved some cereal for you.

Nathan: Sorry dude.

Jake: You’re sick too?

Nathan: Something like that?

RicardoPerez: Is this about yesterday? Nathan dm me.

Nathan: No, I’m still just sore and like it hurt to get out of bed? Idk?

RicardoPerez: Dude.

Nathan: What.

After than Nathan turned his phone off and stared at the ceiling. Couldn’t even read what his friend had to say. Most special Park kid? More like most pathetic.

He buried himself in his blankets his mom came to check on him, but ultimately decided he’d stay home for the day.

Nathan, other than to go to the bathroom once, he did not get out of bed. His phone was going off, both his mom and his grandpa were trying to get him to talk, or do something, but nothing. Not even a reaction.

After the day was over, he heard a knock on his door.

“Hey, Wings, can I come in?”

Ricardo, of course.

“There wasn’t a no, so I’ll be coming in,” the door opened, and the boy walked over to Nathan’s bed. “Your mom ordered some pizza?”

Nathan sat up and look at Ricardo.

“Dude, you have major bed head. Come on, let’s get some food—”

“I’m not hungry, thanks,” he said quietly, going back to lay in his bed.

“Wings, get up out of bed. Your mom said you haven’t left it since this morning. Get up and let’s eat some pizza.”

Nathan sat up hugging his knees to his chest.

Ricardo sighed, “I’ll ask your mom if you can eat it in your room.”

“Okay.”

With that, Ricardo left, Nathan looked around and only to a few minutes later to have him walk through the door with two paper plates. “Here you go, she said you can just don’t eat in your bed.”

Nathan sighed, moving on the floor. He started eating the pizza without a word.

“Okay, dude, seriously, talk to me. I don’t want to hear your sorry excuse of being sore. That doesn’t make you lay in for the entire, not eating anything.”

He shrugged, placing the paper plate to the side once he finished. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean, ‘I don’t know’?!”

“Oh, I don’t know, I think it means I don’t know! I don’t know why I feel awful and just want to lay in my bed and do nothing, all I know is that I want to do nothing and lay in bed. And I don’t know why! I just, I don’t know, okay Ricardo?”

“That was a lot of I don’t know…”

“You didn’t even listen to what I said, huh?”

“No! No, dude, I did. How long have you?”

Nathan looked away for a split second. “Depends on what you mean. Minorly? My entire life. To this extent? A few days ago? It was like a gradual fall, and then it decided to jump off a cliff?”

“That… damn, Nathan.”

“S-Sorry?”

“No, don’t be, but hey, just talk to us, okay? Me, Jake, Erika, maybe even Riya, alright?”

“Sure…”

“Wings, I’m gonna need a better answer than that.”

Nathan snickered at Ricardo’s nickname. “Yeah. I will.”

“Can you tell me now?”

“It’s kinda stupid, but I mean, this isn’t the reason for me… I just, I dunno, I feel like my powers are stupid compared to you and Jake’s. I got flabs under my arms to my ankles, which is still weird by the way, and I just feel like it’s not enough,” Nathan pulled his needs to his chest. “And I know that it’s not true, but… I feel like you and Jake are like, disappointed in me? I don’t know why. I just want to.. Be better?”

Ricardo laughed… he just smiled and laughed, and that hurt him. “Nathan, you know for the longest time I was jealous? Like woah, I can get bigger, but you can… you can fly, or uh, glide! That’s so cool, and I, yeah. I was jealous. I’m not anymore, well, because I’ve come to learn…”

Nathan let out a breath and smiled, “No… no, I get it, yeah,” he sighed. “Thanks.”

“I know that won’t solve anything, but just know we are here for you, okay?”

“Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> This ain't my best work, but I hope you enjoyed.


End file.
